Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-12-14
BUSY Law mkkERs
Many BElls are Ensroaueed
In Beth Meusea.


OErmr1k. Dee. ls.-lspssiall--I ~
! real inwnrdnaas of Tie h1aI p4ssaRe b
the Oouncfi of The gross earnings tax
las II becomina appaxenf, n 0ne keeT1
1lHtincllF IA mind stat Is Requires a&83u
sases IN The Cuuneii 70 pass bill. and
fhai six en- prevent Ne paa1age 0f :
kilf. she oaflinas e. the cg1n1ed Renfles
man 10 tha u0od plIe may - psefty.
| e,earfV dfetineuiRhed IN s Quln1w8s q
/ a aaneeHnd thmt the Anal M8Bara af the
| hlii wnn lee 4 euRpgiaa than s0ma Hem
/ beEa tFied o mahe q aupeaR. Uponl
/ Us aasnmptiou, however, thai The
| 0ouueiI was e1ncEfe Ia passing t1G bill
/ finally, aud na una donhss chs. theEe 10
/ ua dcubt that zoupe nnsmbefs consi&eF-
| u lee passage as frsf step towards -
oafirq sns passags also Of bill pruSid.
| fux fer the assessment and taxation Of
| railroad properties. Thera 10 no donbt,
also, that come members th0nght the
/ znai passage vas dennits eteD n shat
9iTsofi0o. They Cid not sxpeet % leass
he IsU the sama as e stood before the
passage o. tbs guess earnings Law. That
was NOS considered satisfactory. Theee
are reasous WY the NoktheKn Ra0tna
RaiIscad Company will not obiee1 70 its
hsink the law. u has many defee,s.
and tie company viii plas.er every
county coasa record h tna Territory
wlsh suits based 0u iia refusal TO pay
any taxsa under that lag. it would
have fought she gross earnipRs AK laH,
bat She company said Is vas willing %
pay according 10 ils provisions and
thus settle dlspufes. Is the EepeaainR
act beoomes q law g u Il ncw framed,
it VIII nos be of any sabstantlal proat.
Had the Law bean repealed 10 the biil
providing 9 nsF scheme tor ne aseeas-
meat and laxatton e salikoa1 pEopef.
ties. By q elanse stntfng that ell aets in-
consistent with the new law sh0uld
be repealed, then the passage Of
one bill would havs sfecied two
purposes. This, Il ID nov con-
method 10 have ad0ptea. OF course tbs
bills introduced both by Mr.. Lewis end
Mr.. Steele, relative 10 the assessment
and taxation Of railroad propeAty, both
eoptain clause Fepealing Inconsistent
acts. These clauses would have an
swexed ali the purposes Of repeal 90 far
as the QFoss earnings tax Lac d con.
eeFned. The unantmity Of counoiimeu
Ia the alleged coup 9efat Of Saturday
IaE may TINS be- accounted FOR. The
railroads will not seriously oppose the |
repeal Of laus it does not favor paTtinn-
larry, and is friends Will support such
attacks. Bot the passage Of . bill 6x-
ina q definite scheme of taxation B g |
horse OF another c1lor, and sin votes
viii defeat any bill offered for that puF-
pose. On the assumption, however, /
that all Who voted for the Fepeal Of the |
gross e8Rninon tax Law really desired to |
make che NnttheKn Raeihe bear Its !
proper share OF the public bnrdene. the |
sams men should vote for bills which |
gill accomplish that end. A bill which |
will not tax real estate will not do 50. |
Oolonel Steel's bill does NOS 90 90. To
vote for Il would nst be helping matters.
Nj. Lewisis bin covers all properties nos /
exempt By aet Of Congress. Mr.. E1sele's
does nol do that even. Just which will
rscsive the suppoEt Of the members VINO
Wanh the company 20 beaf ia phsxe Of
the public burden remains 20 be sseen.
Their vste viii define their sympathies.
New bills we're introduced as follows
By Mr.. Lsuis. creating Q railroad
commission consisting Of three com
pstens persons; 90 De app0inted By tht |
governor before April 1. 1883, term Of
office two yeAFe; may b. removed for
oaase; the governor 30 app0tns before
April /, 1890 and biennially thereafter
three commissioners Is Successors Of
the frs appointeee; no person ewninR
bonds in railroad companies, Or sonnet
Sd With them, q eIieibie; divides the
territory into three distTieis, Is follows:
First district, counties Of Walia Walla,
Columbia, 0aFdeld, Asotin and Whit
man; second distEiot, Spokane, Stevens,
Lincoln, Douglass, FfankliD, Adams,
Katitae, Yakima, Kliekitat and Ska
mania; dird aialeieh Clarke, OoWiitzs
Wahkiahan Pacific, Chehalis. hswis,
uhurston, Mason. Pierce, Enohomiah,
K;tsap, Skagtt. Whsteom, Island, San
Juan Jeaefsos, ClaIlam and King; com
missioners ts be under oath ana give
$4,000 bonds. 70 BE- approved b. he
governor; the board TO organize on the
FIRST Monday Of April, 1858. at tbs capi-
tol; 20 have secretary, whose pefma-
nent cffice shall be at the capitol; CON-
missioner salary 5000 each; secretary
$500; hxea mAximnm passenger rates |
at four cents per mile, o. two csnfs for |
persons under twelve years. Of age; Gem.
raissien shall have general supervision
OF al railroads IN the territory |
operated By steam and shall In
quiFe into any neQlecs or violation |
uf t1L laws VI tA4bu t4kts4SNy ~ W /
tbs ofasers, aRent1 e employees, ana /
fully examine and inspect the condition |
OF each railroad IN the territory it6 I
ennir meat and mAnaaement with FefsHs l
enss Il the pubiie safety and eunven-
ieuun,n ahaii SEND anuaaily examine
Bridges, and advise The company; and |
It shall be the duty Of the company 90
make repairs suggested, and II noe re-
paired IN ten days aflef notice, theeom-
mission may elop Eunnine of trains ever |
TIE bridge ef BRIDES 60 conplafned |
against; commission 10 make biennial
reports 70 the governor; reports to con-
tain statemsBt Of Amounts Of oapiknl
stock, debt. cost Of road and property
uaed In connection with opeEati1n Of |
road; also ell other propeEty; aoseaRo
originally granted IN aid Of eonstfuo-
aGon Of road hy United States; acreage
unsold; list Of ofiieefs; statistics IS 10
business for each yeas endtng June 30,
average tonnage that can Be eaxris d
over sueh rosd IN the terFiiofy Wiih an
engine ct given powefi gailroad e0mpa-
nies required 30 make annual reports
verified by oatbs oommissioners havs
povtR 10 exsmtne books, papeR8, stoL, q
any such corporation; 20 iss1e eubpeo-
nAss and sdminiatex oaaha; With same
power 10 enforce obedlencs as belongs
b courts Of law; Fefnsal 10 give infor-
nation 10 c6lnnaisstoa made 9 miste
ueanog; dsEyog rood 90 furnish trans
purtAfi0n facilities fex bGsineza o9eEed
it; and % fesetve and Ransp0rt care ct
rsnneuifng rozds ard shall nof Feeatfs
q greater enm than 10 accepted b. q
I'from any other csnnectinQ roads al
charges shah be 1niferm andsF sinflxF
condIflons; eomeiainea Of eommissisn
90 b pxima fade evidence OF fActs
therein stated; and rates nxsd shall be
considered fsasonAbis ID eourts until
contrary & pseve1; eompaniea b report
accidents 70 eommisston; required 10
| furnish reasonable demand Tor fraus-
poViation for grain st0sk In elsv4fcEs
and vareh51ses; withouf discrimxna-
| tisus . regtstfr of cars and Zoe whom
they are furnished 70 be ksut opsn for
pahiio tnspsosioui penallg for vielaaion
Of shia oct thxRe iintas sum Of dammGaa
sustained b. psFson eGgrisvsd ard ane
Of not les than 500 OF mere than
1900; the district coaFt empowered 10
enforce orders, dserees. eee., Of the
commiHsions ard 10 enquiFe into is4maa
raised; violations 20 reader ofiaers &rd